Snow in the deep South

 

 

 

I just wanted to share our Saturday morning Winter Wonderland with you. We don't get snow often, even just this little bit so it is very special. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

I'M ALIVE!

Hello dear friends. I really am still around. I just can't tat and it is unbearable! I hope you are all well and enjoy the holiday season.

Here are two pictures of my tree this year. I will have to start turning it around and get pictures of the other sides. It is covered.

Here are pictures of the angels and snowflakes I have tatted or been given this year. I really expected to have many more made. Oh, well.

Maybe I can force myself to get back into blogging even if I can't tat. Merry Christmas!

Tatting gifts from Carol L.

I wish my camera made better pictures so you could see how lovely these two pieces really are. These were totally unexpected gifts from a very sweet friend. She knows how bad I have been feeling most of this year. She said as she was tatting the lotus flower, she was thinking of me and knew it was to be mine. Sooo Sweet! It is on a lovely pink cord with pink ribbon and I love it. The heart is a beautiful pink that just doesn't show up in the picture. It is attached to the bottom of the letter printed on pretty, rose stationery.

Thank you so much Carol for these precious gifts. Please forgive me for being a while getting them posted. I have worn the necklace several times and get many questions about it. You are a doll!

I WON, I WON!

It has been a long time since I won anything and I am so happy to break that dry spell with this win. I can't wait to try out a bead spinner. Thank you so much to Lady Shuttle Maker for all of her contributions to the tatting community. Her generosity is humbling. Furthermore, Whoo Hoo!

Lady Shuttle Maker's Mondo Monday Giveaway

This week's prize is really a jewel - a bead spinner! I have always wanted one. I hate to tell you to go over and sign up as that decreases my chances of winning, but I promised!

Chinese Dragon in Purple Punch

Thank you so much Anne Bruvold for sharing this wonderful pattern! Look here for the pattern. I thoroughly enjoyed tatting it start to finish. Wish the scan was better. I have a hard time with things that are not flat. Yes, that is a real pearl in it's mouth! The thread is "Purple Punch" in size 50 by Yarnplayer. Red and yellow might have been better colors for a Chinese dragon, but I really wanted a purple one! I know I don't usually tat in size 50, but I have my first ever Ott lamp and I can see the stitches! I love the smaller threads as they give a much more lacey look to the tatting. Now that I can see, I have to tat snowflakes in this thread. I thought I would have some thread left on my shuttles with which to start a snowflake. Not so! It took a total of 14.5 yards on shuttle one and 12 yards on shuttle two. I had started with 10 yards on each. (You might need more or less, but this gives you an idea.) Thanks again, Anne!

Blonde Heart's October Giveaway

Kelly at Blondeheart is having the cutest giveaway. It is a cubcake, one of the adorable little bears she has been making for so long. Go see!

Lady Shuttle Maker's Giveaway

Here we are with another Monday. Do yourself a favor and go to Lady Shuttle Maker's blog and register for her giveaway. The more entries, the more prizes!

Magic Moment Snowflake

I tatted Jon's Magic Moments Snowflake in size 20 thread. The hand dyed thread is "Granny Smith" by Lady Shuttle Maker. In size 20, it measures 4 3/4". I used 8 yards of thread on shuttle 1 and 13 yards of thread on shuttle 2. This is a fun design to tat with all the changing of the shuttles and directions, but not at all hard. Before I finished, I was just looking at the previous repeats instead of the chart. I only used the written directions to get started. I think this one will be repeated. Watch for it in another size, maybe!

I wanted to share these pictures with you here in case you don't go to my story blog. This is a picture of my grandparents house. We lived here part of my childhood and the rest of it, next door to here. It was the most special place in the world.



Here is what was left after the freeway moved us out. Go to I REMEMBER for the story if you want to read it.

Aileen's Hallowversary Giveaway

I just read where Aileen of Aileen's Wicked Tats is having a giveaway. If you win one of her prizes, you won't be disappointed. Visit her here to enter.

Favorite Spring Blossom Snowflake

This is my favorite Spring Blossom snowflake in Apple Blossom. I used variegated thread on both shuttles for the first round. Then for the second round, I used one with the darkest pink for the outside and variegated for the inside rings. I could have used the shoelace trick to make the chains going up to the trefoils in the pink, but I think it looks nice this way. Way to go on dyeing this thread Tatskool and thanks to Jon Faizon for her wonderful snowflake designs.

Lady Shuttle Maker's first Monday giveaway

Hurry over to Lady Shuttle Maker's Blog for a visit and don't forget to leave a comment for the giveaway. No matter which prize you win, they will be fantastic.

Help with Dragon Presentation

I need help! I want to display the dragons as closely to the scene in the book as possible. No matter how I display them, I am going to have to sew them onto a piece of fabric before they can be framed. In the book, they are fighting over what they call "The Burning Plains." Thus I imagine it would be earthy tones with tan, brown and red where the fire breakes through the earths crust. I just don't see this working. My brother suggested a black velvet sky with crystals for stars, a mother of pearl moon and some rocks at the bottom of the shadow box to look like crags.

All suggestions will be appreciated. I want the art of the tatted pieces to be the main focus in the presentation. It should look classy and not overdone.

Like I said, I need help!

Spring Blossom Snowflakes

As I was tatting Jon's Spring Blossom Snowflake in Yarnplayer's Rhubarb Pie, I thought "wait a minute. This needs to be tatted in Tatskool's Apple Blossom hand dyed thread!" I had three solids from the colorway and used them for the centers, as you can see. I may tat one more in all Apple Blossom. We'll see. So much tatting, so little time!

I just noticed that I scanned 2 of them upside down! Oops.

 

 

 

 

Spring Blossom Snowflake in Rhubarb Pie

 

I think Jon's Spring Blossom Snowflake looks so pretty in Yarnplayer's Rhubarb Pie hand dyed thread. I like this pattern a lot. Be looking for more rainbow snowflakes soon!

Presenting "Thorn The Dragon"

Here is Thorn from book two by Christopher Paolini. The name of the book is "Eldest." The pattern is by Karey Solomon -more or less. I had a difficult time figuring out several parts of it. If it taught me anything, it was that you have to know what you are doing and not expect to be "spoon fed" the pattern.

The beads are lovely, vintage size 11 seed beads from a little shop in Gulf Shores, Alabama. I bought them over a year ago and just now got brave enough to use them. I wish they were more visible here, but they probably need to be photographed in the sun and I just can't go out there! The thread is size 20 Lizbeth.

 

I know you have already seen Saphira, but I wanted to present them as I might frame them - in battle.

 

New Blog - I REMEMBER

I have started a new blog. I wanted a place to put all of my stories, both published and non-published. This will be a good way to insure that I don't lose any of them. I hope that you will enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy sharing
them. Shoud you want to copy and reuse any of them as my aunt sometimes did in her church bulletins, please just let me know. I know that by publishing them here, I take the chance of loosing control of them, but I hope that will not be the case. Here is the link. I hope you will add it to your blog.
I REMEMBER

Happy reading!

The Letter Carrier brought surprises yesterday!

I received by thread order from Tatskool yesterday afternoon. I am so excited! As soon as I finish the dragon I am making, I think I will start a doily with this thread. I think it is just yummy. It is, of course, from her hand dyed Choco Raspberry collection and most of the colors will work in my bedroom with Yarnplayer's Rhubarb Crisp.

 

I had a super surprise in with my order. Along with some extra thread, I discovered I was the friend for whom Tatskool was making the heart! She is such a sweetie and wanted to cheer me up. It worked!

 

Here is a picture of the end table where I display my heart collection. I bet lots of you recognize your patterns, thread and hearts that you have sent to me. Thank you all so much for being a huge part of my family. You are all in my heart!

 

The Color of My Rainbow

Your rainbow is strongly shaded violet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is says about you: You are a creative person. You appreciate beauty and craftsmanship. You are patient and will keep trying to understand something until you've mastered it.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

Saphira The Dragon

 

 

I couldn't decide which I liked better, so I posted both pictures. This is one of Karey Solomon's dragons from "Here Be Dragons." I named her Saphira after the dragon in the book "Eragon" by Christopher Paolini. That is the last book I read as my eyes were getting so bad. The second book, "Eldest", I have listed to on cd's. I have yet to listen to the third book. I really like them a lot. I think we all need a bit of fantasy to brighten up or days, especially when we are not feeling well.

I must say this dragon was quite a challenge. I had to start over once, but I finally figured out that I was supposed to be making my beaded joins with the ball thread. Duh! I still had to do a lot of retro tatting, but I am very pleased to completed it and happy with the way it looks - mostly. One big tip for what it is worth, don't tat too tightly and leave a little slack in the beaded picots. You will be able to make it lay much flatter that way. Also, I wish the top claw was lower on the body. I will work on that next time, if there is a next time. We'll see. One of the other dragons is red and the other is gold but I don't know if my eyes or my arthritis will allow me to tat them.

Oh, the thread is size 20 Flora and the beads are size 10. They are not very nice beads so the sizes varied too much. The eye bead is a nice one from an old pair of earrings and the tooth beads are pearls.

Pay It Forward

 

I wanted to share with you the lovely gifts from my pay it forward partner, Aileen. I am so pleased with them and thank her so much. The card has two tatted butterflies on the front and one inside with a very sweet note. The pink disk is a tape measure that she has covered with felt and put tatting on it. The other side has a cute little button that you pull to draw the tape back in. I keep that in my little tatting bag. The crochet hook with the cover on the end was much needed. I had broken one recently. I haven't decided on the use of the sequins yet, but I will. I had hoped to put them on a dragon I was tatting, but couldn't make it work. I'm sure they will decide what they want to be. And a whole roll of ribbon in my favorite color! I am always looking for ribbon.

Thank you so much, Aileen.

Baby Isaac project finished!

 

Here is the finished project. Just wish I could have gotten a better photo of it. I zoomed in so you can see it better. The frame is white wood. Plain and simple. Yarnplayer's Rhubarb Pie in all of it's glory! This will go in my room with all the other Rhubarb Pie tatting.

Proud Beauty

 

As many of you know, I have been working on this doily intermittently for several months. It was supposed to have eight motifs joined and a rose center. The more rows I put on the rose, the longer the chains, (of course), and my arthritis just won't let me finish it. So..... I have joined it together and I have another purpose for it. I think you will all like it very much. It will probably be a couple of weeks before I can show you the finished project as I have to wait for part of it to be done somewhere else and sent to me.

I spent maybe a total of 30 minutes yesterday finishing the end of one of the motifs and then joining two motifs together to make a circle. My head was pounding and I could hardly see by that time. My neurologist ordered a MRI on my brain which I had today. I hope we will be able to find something to help me soon. I ache to return to my tatting and reading.

Oh, the thread is Yarnplayer's Rhubarb Pie in size 20. The pattern is from "The Tatter's Treasure Chest."

One Definition of a Good Friend

 

 

 

I knew I had a good friend in Sharon Briggs, but I guess I didn't realize how good a friend she really was. To me, one definition of a good friend is someone who does things for you that are not expected. Many times, as in this case, Sharon had no responsibility to make these hearts for me and that makes them very special. They came from HER heart.

I had tatted my first original heart and mailed off in this exchange never to see it again. Nor did I ever see any hearts from the other participants except from J.B. who felt so bad she made me a second one. (Another good friend.) Things happen to the mail sometimes.

Thank you so much Sharon. Mostly for being my friend. Secondly for all you have taught me. Thirdly for caring enough to give so much of your time and effort to replace my hearts on your own. I will never forget your kindness and this unselfish gesture.

Aren't the hearts just lovely?

Oncidium Orchids "Dancing Lady"

 

 

 

I've no new tatting to post as my current migraine has been with me for almost two weeks. We've become quite attached. I can't sit here but a minute, but wanted to share these pictures with you. I have had the large orchid for 3 or 4 years now. Can't remember which. The little one I split off the big one a year ago. This is her first time to bloom. I hope you enjoy looking at them and they brighten your day. They sure brighten mine.

5th Snowflake in Tropicana Series

 

This is Jon's "Radiant" snowflake from her book, "Snowflakes Collection." I really like it in Lady Shuttle Maker's Tropicana hand dyed thread. I had not tatted this one before. I think because of the long picots. It was very simple, however. I just used my picot gauge and made them the size Jon suggested.

I am thinking I will need a revolving tree stand for my Rainbow Christmas Tree this year!

Sweetheart Snowflake

 

I couldn't wait to make Jon's new snowflake and here it is. I tatted it in Flora variegated green and a dusty blue. I just pressed it so it is darker than it will be dry. Oh, size 20. I thought these colors would look good on my Rainbow Christmas Tree.

I will tat the other pieces of the set in pink and green or pink and raspberry.

If you haven't ordered by patterns, I hope you will. They are so pretty.

Floret in Tropicana

 

 

The newest addition to the Tropicana snowflake family, is Floret from Jon's book. I am so glad that Lady Shuttle Maker made this thread. I am having a good time with it. Hand dyed thread just can't be beat. Floret took about 1 1/2 yards on each of two shuttles. You might need more. I wouldn't start without 2 yards on each shuttle. I need to go back and give you the amounts on the others. I'll try to do that soon.

I thought you might like to see a picture of the four different ones together. It gives me an idea how they are going to spread the color out on my Rainbow Christmas Tree!

Carousel Snowflake in Tropicana

 

I hope you are not getting tired of looking at Tropicana Snowflakes! I thought I might see how many I can get from one skein of Lady Shuttle Maker's lovely hand dyed thread. This is size 20 same as the others. I loaded 5 yards onto each shuttle. Shuttle 1 ended up getting so close to empty that I did a shoelace trick and switched the shuttles. I ended up with barely 1 yard left on shuttle 1 and 1 1/2 on shuttle 2.

I am still tatting snowflakes from Jon's book, "Snowflake Collection." They are all so pretty.

Circle of Crowns Snowflake in Tropicana

 

I already loved this pattern from Jon's book. Now I love it even more in this thread from Lady Shuttle Maker. My Christmas tree is going to be covered in rainbows!

Last Milky Way Snowflake (For right now!)

 

This interesting thread is "Tropicana" in size 20 by Lady Shuttle Maker. I think it will make a nice addition to my Rainbow Christmas Tree. I am starting another of Jon's snowflakes, Circle of Crowns, in Tropicana right now. Tatting Milky Way is so easy that I can do them on auto pilot. But, it is time for some different ones.

On another note, if you haven't visited Ornaments.com, please do so when you have time. I hope the article that they posted under the blog tab will bring new interest to tatting. Thank you to Ramona for publishing the article.

Another Milky Way Snowflake

 

I tatted this snowflake in size 20 Lizbeth thread, both the pink and the green. I wish I could tat with more delicate thread as I think it is so much prettier. My hands and eyes both say NOOOOOO! Maybe one day. Here is the link to Jon's site where you can order her snowflake book.

 

I think this would make a lovely edging if you needed one. I just don't want to invest the time right now. Too busy making ornaments as you all know I don't have nearly enough to fill up my Rainbow Christmas Tree!

Milky Way Snowflake in Lizbeth

 

I really like the new Lizbeth thread. This is size 20 in color #147. It is very smooth and easy to tat and retrotat. It will never replace the beautiful hand dyed threads from our group, but it is nice.

This is, of course, Jon's Milky Way snowflake.

Earrings from Jon Yousoff

 

Jon sent me these beautiful earrings and I just had to share them with you. I wish I had a better scan or picture of them. They are so much more beautiful in person. I am sure I will enjoy wearing them as soon as I get to go some place nice enough!

Here's the other exciting thing. A similar pattern will be in the new book. I'm sure some of you have already heard there is one in the works. Isn't she amazing?

Thank you my dear friend and sister, Jon.

First Snowflake of the Summer!

 

Once again, Jon's Milky Way Snowflake from her book. I love this pattern and don't know how many I have tatted. This one is tatted in Tatskool's hand dyed thread "Coral Reef."

It's good to have something to post!

Latch Hook Pillow

 

As you can see, it's not quite a pillow yet. I still have to turn the edges back and baste them down. Then find a pillow the right size to fasten it to. I just wanted to go ahead and show you how pretty it is - I think.

I am tatting some. I seem to do better if I am alternating rings and chains. To finish the mystery doily, I have to make long, tight chains - one after the other....... That means a very tight tension on my left hand and it hurts. I'll get it one day. I started a snowflake about an hour ago. I just couldn't wait any longer.

Hope you have all had a nice weekend.

Blogger problems and new website

I have been "locked" out of my blog all week. Ugh! I only got in this time by going to the Leprechaun blog and then to my blog. Don't know what's wrong. Thought I better post while I can. I have actually finished something. Not tatting, but a latch hook pillow top that I work on when my hands won't let me tat. I will try to get a picture tomorrow and get it posted.

My husband has been working very hard on a new venture. He enjoys participating in several forums. Some for solving problems with things like vehicles or lawn mowers and some about the beaches we love so much. Now he has his own! Even though none of you live in the area, there are things there you might enjoy seeing. I think there are three beach cameras that you can look at and even control 1 or 2 or them. It has only been live for a couple of days so there aren't many posts yet. It will take a while. A couple of people have started putting pictures of the area with their posts. Please have a look. It would please Bill so much if some of you would register and comment. NO CHARGE. Gulf Shores Forum is the main link. I don't guess anyone will mind this advertisement since he isn't making any money! He hopes to have much more content soon. The forum for Navarre Beach took 6 months to make it to the top of the Google list so we have to be patient.

Thanks in advance if you have a look.

email problems

To those of you who have emailed me in the last few days, we are having email problems and I haven't been able to respond or create new emails. Hope to rectify the problem soon.

Happy Memorial Day!

Gina's Monica Hahn Angel

As I am sure you have seen on Gina's blog, her angel arrived safely so I can now post it. This was a fun exchange and I love the angel Gina made for me. I hope she will enjoy hers. I tatted her in size 20 Lizbeth. My first Lizbeth thread experience and I was very pleased. Enjoy Gina!